Monday, February 07, 2011

The Road Test from Hell....

Well...., after driving the entire distance from Ann Arbor to Washington for the March for Life and most of the way back, Mary finally had all the driving hours she needed. She completed segment two of drivers ed last week and we had scheduled the road test for this past Saturday.

The roads were dry. There were no snowstorms predicted. Things looked good. The appointment was for 2:30. In the morning I heard that we might get an inch, maybe two, of snow but I thought, oh well, a little dusting of snow won't bother her. She's driven in snow. (although it does make her nervous....as it should :-)

When the snow started Mary exclaimed, "Mom! What is this?!" I said, "Oh it's only supposed to be an inch or two. You'll be fine. You've driven in snow." She looked a little apprehensive.

When we left for the test it was snowing pretty hard. Still, I thought, this must just be a brief squall. By the time we got there it was genuine blizzard conditions. I mean it was blowing. The snow was just dumping from the sky. Within an hour we must have gotten several inches. The lane lines were no longer visible on the roads. I thought, "This is going to be a nightmare of a road test.

They made me get out of the car for the parallel parking (between 4 cones). I walked away, quietly saying my rosary for her and not looking at all in her direction. When they called me back to get in the car the snow had only gotten worse. I thought if this were 5:30 AM this would be a snow day. And it takes alot to get a snow day in Michigan. A traveler's advisory had been issued. I had to sit in the back and not say a word. (no coaching :-) not easy for me.) The road test lasted a half hour. The snow was so bad that even on the highway there were no lane lines visible. A couple times Mary went over the rumble strip on the shoulder but how could she have avoided it? You could not see where the road was!! I thought to myself that there could not have been more difficult driving conditions during which to take one's road test. Interestingly, Mary's Confirmation saint is Saint Scholastica, patroness of weather. Perfect saint to intercede for her in this situation, I'd say!! I said an entire rosary and most of a second, asking Saint Scholastica to pray for Mary's peace and that she'd pass the test, according to the Lord's will. (and for our safety...)

When we were finished the tester told her she had done well, that just once she had had to ask her to slow down because of the conditions and a car in front of her that looked like it might be about to spinout. (sheesh-- hadn't seen that from the back) And once when she had turned left she hadn't gotten over far enough and was actually in an entrance lane to the highway. But, the instructor said, "I couldn't really tell what lane it was either because of the snow."

Anyway, in spite of the weather, she passed!!!! And today we went to the Secretary of State's office and she got her license! At this very moment she is at a basketball game at her school which she drove to herself. (I asked her to text me when she arrived and to text me before she left.) Truly, though, I have a lot of confidence in Mary's driving. She is quite cautious, very attentive, and very deliberate about following all the rules.

Still, may the Lord protect her every time she gets behind the wheel of a car. (And every time she's with someone else in a car too)!!